In this episode of The Art Biz, I give you 5 lists (a list of lists!)and tell you where to keep them and how to use them: good ideas, absolute no’s, things someone could do for you, 10-30-minute tasks, and done—your accomplishments. Don’t skip that last one.
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]]>Lists can give order to your hectic life, whether you process each item in order or, more likely, get around to them someday.
The most valuable thing about making lists is that it gets tasks, projects, and ideas out of your heads and into a place where you can find them again. At least that’s the idea.
Your to-do list is the one you’re probably most familiar with and contains urgent or near-future items that you must accomplish: pay bills, order framing supplies, write the newsletter draft.
But I want to take you beyond daily tasks with a list of 5 lists (yep, a list of lists) that are useful to artist-entrepreneurs.
1. The good ideas list
When I plan a project with a client, some things are immediate: an exhibition, a launch, a class to teach. But their minds are still churning with ideas. You don’t have time to do them now, yet they take up head space and keep floating back until you give them a place to live.
- Write a book.
- Lead a retreat overseas.
- Go after a residency.
Think of this as a dream list. It’s a placeholder. When an idea becomes real, it becomes a project.
If your list is anything like mine, you’ll look at it in five years and ask, “What was I thinking with half of those?” But at least you got them out of your head and onto paper.
[Aside: In the podcast I combine the good ideas list with lists of things I want to remember like books to read or movies to watch.]
Listen to episode 282
2. The absolute no's list
These are the things you will not do, no way, no how, in no universe. In my experience, things land here because you said yes once and realized you would never do it again.
Your list might say:
- I never work with people who bargain with me.
- I never take a commission under $2,500.
- I never loan my art without a contract.
Mine says I never work with whiny people who make excuses. I just can’t help them. I never tell anyone, “I’m so busy,” because being busy is boring. And I never consult privately with an artist who doesn’t have a body of work and a studio practice.
Once you’ve named a no and written it down, it can become a policy. Then it’s easy to say, “Sorry, I have a policy against that.”
4. The 10 to 30 minute list
We are not all blessed with three uninterrupted hours to work in the studio, or to write, record, edit, and publish a video in one fell swoop. That doesn’t happen very often.
But we can all find pockets of time between tasks or appointments. Ten minutes. Thirty minutes.
This list is what you go to instead of turning on YouTube for the latest news and getting swept up in something that isn’t helping you (mentally or professionally).
Mine says to delete old blog posts, and to delete the downloads and screen captures on my desktop. A lot of digital cleaning is mindless. It doesn’t use many brain cells, so you can do it while a game is on or while you’re watching something you don’t have to follow the plot of.
My friend Janice McDonald kept these tasks on slips of paper in a mason jar and pulled one out when she had a few minutes. That leaves too much up to fate for me. If I pulled something I didn’t feel like doing, I’d put it back and grab another one. I’d rather look at a list and think, “Oh yeah, that would be fun now.” And we should get joy wherever we can in our day.
3. The things someone else could do list
Everyone would like more help in their business. It’s great to work alone and have all the control, but wouldn’t a little extra support be nice?
Here’s what I know from experience and from clients who have hired help: never hire someone until you know exactly what you want them to do. An extra body is dead weight. You don’t need an extra body. You need specific help, and this list starts the whole thing.
Frame it as things you do that someone else could do and that you’re willing to let go of. Maybe even someone already in your orbit.
Heidi Fahrenbacher talked about hiring her brother, who excels at shipping logistics in a way she doesn’t want to. I keep my list in the back of my planner, right next to me all day.
They won’t do the job the way you do it. But they just might surprise you and do do it better — freeing you to work your genius.
See these episodes about working with others:
My best practices for working with an assistant (59)
Learning how to be a boss with Ali Manning (106)
5. The done list
This one is just as important as your to-do list. It’s everything you have completed.
Here’s what happens at the end of the day. We look at our planner and think, “Ugh, I didn’t do those things,” and we move them over to the next day. We keep seeing what we still haven’t done, and the to-do list just keeps growing.
We have to get used to that. The to-do list is ongoing because we always want to be doing. We want our lives to be meaningful, and that means we do things. But we have to learn to prioritize, and we have to learn to take credit for what we’ve done.
This is why the most important thing I ask people to do in my coaching is reflect on what they’ve done. If they don’t, they can’t grow. They can’t celebrate. All they see is the list of things they haven’t done yet.
Call it a done list or a celebration list. I don’t care what you call it. Just do it. And if something you did was never on your list, write it down and cross it out. There’s great joy in that.
Then when I ask what you’ve accomplished, you can look at your days and tell me exactly. It’s not for accountability. It’s so we can figure out your next steps.
Where to keep your lists
It’s great to make lists, but if they’re all over the place in various corners of your studio, your office, or your home, they don’t do any good.
Each one needs a dedicated place. They don’t all have to be together, but you need to know where to go to add to them and review them.
My 10 to 30 minute list and my done list live in my planner, because that’s where I look for time and where my daily tasks are. My good ideas and all of the other lists are in Notion, because I can search them and find them easily in a digital format
If you do nothing else, do the done list. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments.
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]]>I have a long list of things I'd rather not do. But If you are trying to make money from your art, you are responsible for certain tasks that you may not feel like doing.
If you are trying to make money from your art, you are responsible for certain tasks that you may not feel like doing.
Perhaps considering a few questions might help you get past the struggle.
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]]>Are you avoiding art business tasks because you “don’t feel like it?”
If you are trying to make money from your art, you are responsible for certain tasks that you may not feel like doing.
You might not feel like:
- Writing and sending your email newsletter
- Publishing a blog post
- Updating your contact list
- Posting to social media
- Following up with a buyer
If you’re like me, you never feel like doing your bookkeeping.
I get it that not all of these, or perhaps any of them, might be fun.
And, yet, you need to do them to make progress. And to be smart about how you run your art business.
There’s no sense bellyaching about the things you don’t enjoy. And no sense wishing that you’d rather be doing something else.
Pining for different circumstances is wasted energy. If you want to make progress, hold your nose, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.
And do it joyfully, dammit! 
, because you’re darn lucky. You’re lucky to be an artist in the free world and to have the freedom and resources to build your own business.
My top trick for getting difficult things done is to find support and accountability. And that’s why those 2 things are the cornerstone of all my programs.
You can find answers anywhere. Thank you, Google. But artists need community to thrive.
If you are doing this alone without the support of a coach or community, perhaps considering a few questions might help get you past the struggle.
Examine Your Resistance
Why are you procrastinating?
Is there a mental block and, if so, what is it related to?
Is it a fear of success? A fear of failure?
Do you have everything you need to do the task?
I have discovered that some of my clients procrastinate because they have a project on their lists rather than a task. A project requires multiple steps (tasks) to complete.
If you need to send a newsletter, but you haven’t even researched or written the content, of course you’re going to delay.
Always identify the next action for your task and make it an actionable, single step.
Appeal to Your Sense of Accomplishment
How will it feel to get this done?
Take a moment to soak it in. How will your life be better when you finish this?
Imagine crossing through that task with a fat black pen and getting on with other tasks or to the work back in your studio.
Why are you doing this?
Why is this on your list in the first place? What’s it going to get you? Again, how will your life be better when it’s done?
Invoke Your Vision
Is this other thing you’d rather be doing more important than what you’re procrastinating?
There might be something on your art business agenda that is more important than the task you don’t feel like doing. But I’ll bet it’s not checking your email or scrolling through Instagram.
If you’re wasting time on trivial matters, this question should bring you back into line: Is this the best use of your time right now?
Sometimes we add things to our lists that we don’t really have to do. Maybe the world will keep turning on its axis if you decide against completing that particularly disagreeable task.
What will happen if you don’t do this?
Then there are times when the ramifications of avoiding a task are enormous. People won’t hear about your work, fans will be the last to be invited to a special event, or you won’t make the sale because you waited too long to act.
Are you willing to find out?
Consider Your Future
One week/month/year from now, how will it feel to have completed the task?
One week/month/year from now, how will it feel to have neglected the task?
Listen to this related episode of The Art Biz …
This post was originally published January 23, 2013 and has been updated with original comments intact.
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]]>The post Making Your List and Checking It Twice appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Here is an idea for finishing up 2013 and preparing for a prosperous 2014. I’m fairly certain that Santa uses a similar process to keep track of the many deliveries he must make today.
Identify Your Projects
Spend a couple of hours this week assessing all of the projects on your plate.
Projects are undertakings that require multiple steps to complete. You can’t finish a project in one sitting.
You might not be actively working on certain projects, but they are on your radar. You want to stay on top of them.
Here are some examples of projects:
- Overhauling your website or blog
- Creating a new series of work
- Moving
- Organizing an exhibition
- Planning an opening
- Arranging an event
- Marketing campaigns
- Writing an article or book
- Teaching classes or workshops
- Scheduling travel
It’s likely that you have 10-15 projects or more at any one time. Each exhibition is a separate project. Each article is a separate project. Each teaching gig is a separate project.
This first step is simply to capture all of your current and future projects in one place. You can do this on paper, in a document, on Evernote, or in a project-management system.
It doesn’t count to do it in your head. You must write them down.
Add The Tasks
After you have a good idea of your major responsibilities for the year (and beyond), you can add the tasks associated with each project.
Remember that a task is a single action, which might be dependent on an earlier action. Be sure you drill down your tasks so that each one requires only one step.
Add deadlines to your list.
This is a running list that you will update continuously in order to stay focused, so it’s worth checking it twice.
Sleep Well
If you’ve done a thorough job, reward yourself with a good night’s sleep. You’ll rest easier knowing that you have everything in one place.
There is no doubt that peace of mind is the primary benefit of this exercise.
And who knows? If you do a good job – and if you’ve been nice – in 12 months you might get a call from the North Pole asking you to throw on a pair of green tights and assist a bearded VIP with his very important project.
Merry Christmas!
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]]>There are other people out there who can counsel you on self-care and enjoying the season. It's my job to remind you that your success depends on the daily commitment you show to your business.
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]]>I had plenty waiting on me in the office, but I was L.a.z.y with a capital L.
Plop-myself-in-front-of-the-TV-for-a-few-hours Lazy.
Yes, I’m paying for it now, but I’m okay with that. Everyone needs a break now and then and I gave myself a significant home vacation.
But now I have to get back to work. I have a sale to launch, a few blog posts to write, and a newsletter that must be delivered to your inbox on Wednesday morning. I have responsibilities.
And so do you.
With less than 1 month to go before Christmas (yipes!), it’s about this time that we start using the holidays as an excuse to neglect our income-generating businesses.
Don’t do this.
Enjoy the holidays as much as you can while also keeping your business on track. There are other people out there who can counsel you on self-care and enjoying the season. It’s my job to remind you that your success depends on the daily commitment you show to your business.
Remember the following six thoughts whenever you are tempted to neglect sending that email to your list or writing that blog post.
1. Someone somewhere is waiting to hear from you.
They probably don’t know it yet, but you have the right words or the perfect piece of art for someone right now.
There’s no better time to share your gifts.
2. Postponing action is postponing your success.
Every time you procrastinate or decide that a marketing action “probably won’t lead to anything,” remember that you are just putting off any positive results you could be benefiting from.
If you want to make sure you relish the holidays while still moving forward, block out holiday time and office time on your calendar.
3. It takes longer to restart a project than to continue chipping away at it.
You just have to do a little bit at a time to stay connected to your projects and commitments. If 30 minutes a day is all you can spare, then so be it. Set your timer and crank through a task.
Focus on taking single actions, not on what remains of the bigger projects.
4. Sometimes you just have to begin.
Our projects are usually bigger in our heads than they are to implement. Most people find that once they start something, it’s hard to walk away from it.
Just start. Be open to where your initiative leads.
5. Consider a change of scenery.
If your home reminds you of the presents you need to wrap, baking you need to do, or cards you should be sending, get out!
Go to a coffee shop to write your blog post or take a walk for inspiration.
6. Imagine how good you’ll feel.
Hard work yields a higher level of self-satisfaction than ignoring what must be done.
Think about how good you’ll feel in January when there isn’t a backlog of neglected tasks on your list.
How do you stay motivated during the holidays?
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]]>1. Capture it. Write it down.
My housekeeper was overwhelmed with all she had to do following her father’s passing. The coach in me kicked in: “If you don’t mind my asking, do you write things down?”
“I never write anything down,” she admitted.
That’s why she was so overwhelmed! All of her To-Dos were floating around in her head. She had no peace because they were constantly nagging at her.
Writing things down gets them out of your head. It helps you stop worrying about what you need to do because you see it all on paper. The list rarely appears as overwhelming as it seemed in your head. It’s manageable.
2. Figure out how you work best.
When a client and I are figuring out the best way to accomplish something, I’ll ask: Is this a task you’d do in one sitting or would you prefer to chunk it down into smaller segments?
You have to know how you work best and work with that tendency, not against it.
For brainless activities like updating a mailing list, I like small chunks of time. I can’t imagine spending 2 hours doing data entries.
But when I need to focus and think clearly, I work well with big chunks of time. I close down email and social media, develop a rhythm, and avoid distractions. Most of my writing projects require this type of scheduling and planning.
I write my newsletter best in several sittings. I need about an hour and a half to write a draft, but I won’t be satisfied with it in a single sitting. It will need two more pass-throughs before going to my proofreader.
I’ve learned that I need to approach my time working on big projects with a sense of purpose. I work best when I say to myself, “I am now going to write the first draft of my newsletter. I will do other things on my list later.”
3. Practice.
Last week I held my first webinar (see below). I was a little nervous because I had attended some pretty lame webinars.
There always seems to be a tech issue at the beginning of a webinar and the slides are often horrible. I wanted mine to be visually interesting and engaging.
I’m very happy with my first webinar, but only because I practiced. I conducted about five run-throughs of my slides – carefully honing my words each time.
Whether it’s language for talking with people about your art or a cold-call pitch, practicing gives you the confidence to complete the task to your standards.
4. Line up your team.
I couldn’t have pulled off a successful webinar about entrepreneurial artists without the help of two of my team members.
One person was assigned to answer any email questions before, during and after the webinar. Her attention needed to stay focused on her inbox.
Another person uploaded a new website page while the webinar was in session, which I directed people to at the end of the webinar.
Their help allowed me to stay focused on my guests’ experience.
You need people on your team – paid or volunteer – to help you succeed. That’s one of the hallmarks of an entrepreneur that I talk about in the webinar replay you see above.
What business lessons have you been learning lately?
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]]>Here are seven tips to help you maneuver around those barriers.
1. Know your priorities.
Dang it! You wrote them down somewhere. Where are those priorities?
You shouldn’t have to look them up. You should know your priorities and trust in them. They are beacons that guide your every move.
Your top business priorities are those things that will have the biggest positive impact on your career and business. Then you have essential personal priorities like family, health, and spiritual practices.
You need both business and personal priorities to do your best work and live your best life.
2. Share your priorities with those close to you.
Those who love you should want to support you in reaching your goals, but they won’t know how to do that until you have explained it.
Telling people what you want for yourself will make it easier to set boundaries around your time. When you say, "I'm sorry I can't have lunch, that is my studio time," they will better understand why.
3. Let it go.
Saying Yes to your big goals means that you must say No to other things. Decide what can or should be eliminated from your schedule.
This might be socializing, spending time on social media, getting caught up in funny videos on YouTube, or watching television.
But it might also be that you need to pull back from venues that aren’t serving you or marketing methods that haven’t paid off after consistent effort.
4. Practice a
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]]>Here are seven tips to help you maneuver around those barriers.
1. Know your priorities.
Dang it! You wrote them down somewhere. Where are those priorities?
You shouldn’t have to look them up. You should know your priorities and trust in them. They are beacons that guide your every move.
Your top business priorities are those things that will have the biggest positive impact on your career and business. Then you have essential personal priorities like family, health, and spiritual practices.
You need both business and personal priorities to do your best work and live your best life.
2. Share your priorities with those close to you.
Those who love you should want to support you in reaching your goals, but they won’t know how to do that until you have explained it.
Telling people what you want for yourself will make it easier to set boundaries around your time. When you say, “I’m sorry I can’t have lunch, that is my studio time,” they will better understand why.
3. Let it go.
Saying Yes to your big goals means that you must say No to other things. Decide what can or should be eliminated from your schedule.
This might be socializing, spending time on social media, getting caught up in funny videos on YouTube, or watching television.
But it might also be that you need to pull back from venues that aren’t serving you or marketing methods that haven’t paid off after consistent effort.
4. Practice a standard “rejection line.”
A “rejection line” is what you’ll use to say No, Thank You to requests for your time and energy.
I tend to favor the one I learned from writers: “I’m sorry I can’t do that with/for you. I’m on deadline.”
Another favorite of mine is “Let me think about it and get back to you.” This is more about postponing a response rather than delivering an outright rejection. It’s perfect to use when you’re tempted.
5. Believe.
Trust that you can reach your big goals. They wouldn’t have occurred to you if the Universe wasn’t ready to deliver.
There will be people and circumstances that try to separate you from your dreams. The more you have faith in your direction, the more likely you will be to stand up for what is important.
6. Hang a sign on your door.
Post a sign on your door with the name of your studio and hours of operation. Add the date of establishment if that helps.
A sign reminds you (and potential interrupters) that you are at work.
7. Ask yourself: “What If . . . ?”
When I was writing my book, my coach asked me, “What if you go into a bookstore and see your book on the shelf—only it’s been written by someone else?”
The thought that someone else would write my book before me helped me stay on task.
What is your “What If” question that will help you stay focused on your priorities?
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]]>To do this effectively and sanely, you must first acknowledge you need help whenever and wherever you can get it. You must understand that the DIY mentality is severely limiting when you’re trying to make money.
Keep the DIY Mentality for Your Art Only
Most artists are overwhelmed with the work that must be done to build a business, but they resist turning over tasks to professionals who can assist.
When you seek support for your business from consultants, assistants, and other professionals, you:
- Gain valuable time to focus on your genius work (making and marketing). This is what makes you money!
- Allow other people, who are probably better trained than you, to use their strengths for your benefit.
This is why you must lose the DIY mentality for every aspect of your business. You must learn to delegate.
Where Others Can Help
What is taking up your precious time?
What are you doing that someone else (who is more gifted in that area) could do better?
Keep a list of all the tasks you are currently performing that someone else could do. You don’t yet have to do anything with this list, but you must begin it if you want to experience future growth.
Here are some examples to get you started:
- Home: cleaning, cooking, shopping, mowing, weeding, fixing, car washing
- Studio: stretching canvas, finishing work, preparing work for installation
- Venues: hanging art, mounting wall labels
- Marketing: addressing and stamping postcards, certain social media tasks, preparing blog posts, website and email template design
- Business: bookkeeping
- Events & openings: catering, sales, host duties
What tasks do you need to be rescued from in order to make more money from your art business?
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]]>Everyone feels overwhelmed at times. I find myself in this position more than I would like to admit and thought I’d share a process that has worked for me.
Step 1: Make a List
Make a list of everything that needs to get done, including the small steps necessary to complete the larger tasks. Everything!
Step 2: Figure Out What Can Wait
From that list, write everything that can wait until next week onto another piece of paper. Then, put it out of sight.
Seeing everything that needs to be done adds to the sense of overwhelm. Your tasks still need to get done, but not all are urgent. Your separate list will be there when you are ready to deal with it.
Step 3: Prioritize Your Week
Prioritize what remains on your list for this week. Number each task according to when you will perform it.
- Start with two things that can quickly be finished because crossing something off of the list is the good feeling. It kick starts the motivation, which makes it easier to move on to more complex tasks.
- Next is what must get done for life or business to continue functioning, like what is urgent due to time constraints or what causes you the most stress. Get it over with to relieve the stress!
From these, identify the longest tasks. This early stage is when you have the most energy and drive to get things done. Might as well use this energy to its fullest.
- Batch your tasks. For example, if you have to leave the house to do any of the items on your list, consider the location and take care of multiple errands in one trip.
- The last things on the list should be the least important or the quickest.
Step 4: Get It Done
Work your list using these tips:
- At the end of each day, write the next day’s to-do list. This sets out a plan and ensures that nothing is forgotten.
- Review the list each morning to double check that it is prioritized correctly.
- If you can’t fall asleep because you keep thinking of all the things that need to be done, place a piece of paper and pencil next to the bed so that you can write them down.
- Think about future projects and events. Are there things that can be done now to relieve the pressure later?
If the overwhelming feeling comes up again, stop for a cup of tea and remind yourself that you can only do one thing at a time and it’s okay to be human.
Taking a breath in the middle revives the sense and renews your energy to continue navigating the list.
Repeat each week.
How do you organize your tasks?
About Our Guest Blogger
About her art, Kelley Dawkins says she wants people to “feel like they have stepped into an alternate universe where they can play inside of color and feel the mood that the artwork conveys, like a wholesome acid trip.”
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]]>You’re wiped. Your creative juices are spent.
Here are some brainless business actions you can take when you don’t have the energy to think too much.
1. Organize Image Files
Most of us get lazy with our digital images. It’s too gosh-darned easy to take a lot of pictures and keep them on your seemingly endless disk space. But they soon become clutter.
In your down time, you can rename your images with titles that are much easier to find because they are descriptive.
You can also take the time to organize, delete, and reorganize your image filing system.
2. Upload Images
Upload new images of your art, your openings, and yourself to your website or social media sites. You don’t have to publish them as the descriptions and text might require more neurons than you’re willing to ignite. Just uploading the images is a step in the right direction.
3. Update Your Lists
Keeping your contact list and email list fresh with new people you’ve met is an ongoing task that is, I admit, not glamorous. But it has to be done. You don’t want to spend a lot of time updating your list when an event is on the horizon, and you have more important things to do.
Adding names to your lists in bits and pieces will pay off.
Artist Conspiracy member Mary Gilkerson shared her secret in the forums: “I’ve set my database to open as soon as the computer is turned on, which reminds me to do a little bit every day.”
4. Trash Old Files
This might be my favorite brainless task of all. Open up your documents folder on your computer and behold! I’ll bet you find a lot of files and folders that you no longer use or need. Dump them!
If you want to retain files that are out of date, create an Archives folder. I have one inside almost every folder on my computer. When something is no longer timely, I drop it in the Archives folder. For instance, I archive past workshops, audio programs I no longer sell, and classes I no longer teach.
Do the same with your paper files, recycling what you choose to get rid of.
5. Back Up Your Computer
There are too many heartbreaking stories of artists who have lost everything because their computer crashed, and they had no back-up copies of data. Backing up must be a habit. Put it on your calendar as a regular commitment.
Store your critical files – including image files – offsite or in the cloud.
6. Interact on Social Media
Proactively find good people to follow and say nice things about on your social media site of choice.
On Facebook, comment on other pages as your page so that you’re mingling with others as your business. This allows you to clock in some marketing time without having to put too much thought into it.
What are your favorite brainless actions?
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